Global influencer marketing business, Influencer has today announced the appointment of digital media veteran Luke Barnes as President, EMEA. The appointment signals Influencer’s continued dedication to cementing the integration of influencer marketing into the wider marketing mix, while also signalling the start of an aggressive EMEA expansion plan.

Influencer is committed to creators being a key part of every single segment of a brand’s media plan, signifying creators’ importance in the future of advertising. For most businesses, gone are the days of influencer marketing being executed in isolation, with many brands looking towards more dedicated strategies. These brands are seeing those budgets allocated to influencer marketing driving uplift around metrics that may be stagnating elsewhere, such as recall and conversion, suggesting that influencer marketing can move higher up the funnel rather than remaining as a purely tactical activation. These are strategies that are already being undertaken by the likes of Google Pixel, Nike and Hilton. This evolution also comes at a time when the economic situation means brands must monitor their marketing ROI more closely than ever. 

Luke’s appointment perfectly supports Influencer’s commitment to offering clients a more integrated approach to influencer marketing. Similarly to branded content 5 years ago, now is a point where creator-led marketing can truly own the role of speaking to younger audiences, those with the highest disposable income, and Luke’s experience can help Influencer to be the leaders in this charge. Luke brings with him vast experience from the publisher side of the digital media industry, having worked at VICE for the past 7 years. Here, Luke held the role of Chief Digital Officer & Chief Revenue Officer, EMEA, among others, at VICE Media Group, taking responsibility for the EMEA and APAC business across their digital media titles. Luke also has great experience in the creator space, having began his career as an entrepreneur within the social media creator space, selling his business in 2012 to L.A. based theAudience, where he launched the UK operation.. 

In this role as President, EMEA Luke will be working closely with the CEO Ben Jeffries and will be responsible for:

• Owning the EMEA P&L;
• Identifying areas for growth and building Influencer’s footprint outside the UK; 
• Integrating into local markets through a dedicated global expansion strategy; and
• Working closely with Influencer’s leadership team to support the business’ overarching global growth strategy.

In 2022, Influencer announced new offices across EMEA, MENA and North America. Luke’s appointment will enable both Ben and Influencer’s CVO Caspar Lee to focus their attention on US expansion, ultimately resulting in a strong global presence for the business. 

Speaking about the appointment, Influencer CEO Ben Jeffries states: “Luke is a relentless business builder, and brings with him a huge amount of entrepreneurial spirit - both of which are things that very much align with our company values. His vast experience in identifying industry opportunities and growing businesses will be of paramount importance as we look to grow Influencer and improve the way we service clients in the EMEA region in 2023.”

Luke Barnes said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining Ben, Caspar and the Influencer team at this pivotal stage in the company’s journey. The exponential growth they have driven in recent years represents a tipping point in the opportunity to elevate the virtues of creator-led marketing, and I hope to help cement Influencer as the driving force of that evolution across the industry.”